Modelling and Validation of the Thermal, Hydraulical, Mechanical and Geochemical Behaviour of the Clay Barrier

Project Information

Grant agreement ID: FI2W0102

Project closed

Start date 1 October 1991

End date 30 September 1994

Funded under

• Specific research and technical development programme (Euratom) in the field of management and storage of radioactive waste, 1990-1994

Total cost € 400 000,00

EU contribution € 200 000,00

Coordinated by

BELGIAN NUCLEAR RESEARCH CENTRE
Belgium

Objective

When considering compacted clay-based materials as engineered barrier in the immediate environment of a HLW container, not only the hydromechanical performance needs to be studied but also thermal and hydrochemical evolution needs to be known.
The influence of temperature on the hydrological, mechanical and chemical field, has been studied for each of these fields separately. However to be able to assess the overall performance of the clay barrier, it is the objective of this project to model the combined effect of temperature on the hydromechanical and hydrochemical field.
The development of codes for the simulation of multiphase flow under non-isothermal conditions and their application to the interpretation of the experimental work will be carried out.
When considering compacted clay based materials as engineered barriers in the direct environment of a high level radioactive waste (HLW) container, the hydromechanical, thermal and hydrochemical evolution of the barriers must all be studied. The influence of temperature on the hydraulical, mechanical and chemical fields, has been studied individually. However, to be able to assess the overall performance of the clay barrier, the combined effect of temperature on the hydromechanical and hydrochemical field must be examined.

In the field of thermomechanical modelling, a physical model incorporating all important phenomena in the behaviour of an unsaturated swelling clay has been built up, whilst in the thermochemical field, literature compiling has started. A first prototype cell has been constructed and validation tests have started.
Work programme:

Code development
A code to simulate multiphase flow under non-isothermal conditions will be developed and, on the one hand coupled to a chemical transport code and expansive material effects.

Experiments
Tests will be carried out on ad hoc designed cells that will allow to determine the evolution of temperature, pressure and fluid concentration fields, produced in the clay barrier by heating of the central zone and by flow of water.

Model application
The thermo-mechanical and thermo-chemical models will be used in the interpretation of the above experiments and experiments carried out in complementary projects (contract No. FI2W-CT91-0098).

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › other engineering and technologies › nuclear engineering › nuclear waste management

Programme(s)

• FP2-RADWASTOM 4C - Specific research and technical development programme (Euratom) in the field of management and storage of radioactive waste, 1990-1994

Topic(s)

• B.2 - The underground facility HADES in the argillaceous layer under the Mol Site (B)

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

BELGIAN NUCLEAR RESEARCH CENTRE

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: 200,Herrmann Debrouxlaan 40-42 ; 1160 BRUXELLES ; Belgium
• Total cost: No data

Participants (3)

Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas

Spain

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: 22,Avenida Complutense ; 28040 Madrid
• Total cost: No data

Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radioactivos SA

Spain

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: 7,Emilio Vargas ; 28043 Madrid
• Total cost: No data

INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING

Spain

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: S/N,Gran Capitan s/n, Campus Norte UPC, Edificio C1 ; 08034 BARCELONA
• Total cost: No data